Automatic tap-hole stopper.



E. S. BOUDREAU.

AUTOMATIC TAP HOLE STOPPER.

APPLICATION TILED FEB.20,1913.

Patented June 10, 1913.

Emma

alter/H21 Arnn'r FFTCE,

ERNEST S. BOUDREAU, 0F TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC TAP-HOLE STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June to, 1913.

Application filed February 20, 1913. Serial No. 749,756.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST S. BoUnREAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma,- in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Tap-Hole Stoppers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic tap hole stopping devices for furnaces and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide an automatically operating device of this character by means of which the tap holes of furnaces and the like may be quickly closed without danger to the operators after the desired quantity of molten metal has 'been drawn from the furnaces.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, strong and durable in construction, efficient and reliable in operation and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of, parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of a furnace showing my improved tap hole stopping device applied thereto and illustrating in full and dotted lines the manner in which the same is swung to operative or inoperative positions; Fig. 2 is a front view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the tap hole of the furnace and through the automatic stopper projecting mechanism of the device; Fig. 1 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig.1.

My improved tap hole stopping device comprises a suitable supporting bracket 1 which is fastened to the outer side of' the wall of the furnace or other object to which the device is applied, said bracket comprising parallel outwardly projecting bars 2 betweenthe outer ends of which is pivoted one end of a cylinder supporting arm 3, said arm being preferably in the form of an open frame comprising upper and lower bars 4 which converge from their pivoted inner ends toward their outer ends and which are connected near their opposite ends by vertical cross bars. The outer end of the arm or frame. 3 carries a circular band or ring 6 having on its outer side a longitudinally extending catch engaging In 7 the purpose of which will be hereina er described. The inner ends of the upper and lower bars 4 of the frame 3 are extended beyond the cross bar 5 and engage the inner sides of the outer ends of the bars 2 of the bracket 1 and are pivotally secured to said bars by a vertical pivot pin or shaft 8 having a headed upper end and having its lower end extended for a purpose hereinafter described.

Secured in the ring or band 6 on the outer end of the frame 3 is a compressed air clyinder 9 to the inner end of which is secured a clay supporting chamber 10 which is preferably of cylindrical form and of considerably less diameter than the compressed air cylinder 9. Slidably mounted in the compressed air cylinder 9 is a piston 11 having a piston rod or stem 12 which works through an aperture 13 in the inner end of the cylinder 9 and is connected with a clay projecting plunger 14 which is slidably mounted in the clay supporting chamber 10 as shown. Compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 9 through an air conducting pipe 15 supported at one end by a coupling16 which is preferably connected with the lower' end of the pivot pin 8 of the cylinder supporting frame and is adapted to turn thereon when the frame 3 and the parts carried thereby are swung inwardly and outwardly. Also connected to the coupling 16 is a main air supply pipe 17 which leads to any suitable compressed air supply not shown. The air conducting pipe 15 is connected to a four-way valve 18;

located adjacent to the outer side of the cylinder 9, said valve being connected to the outer end of the cylinder 9 by a branch air pipe 19 and to the inner end of said cylinder by a branch air pipe 20. By thus arranging the branch a1r pipes 19 and 20, it will be seen that when the valve '18 is in one position air will be admitted to the outer end of the cylinder and exhausted from the opposite end and when the valve is in another position the air will be admitted to the inner end of the cylinder and exhausted from the outer end, thus projecting or retracting the piston 11 and piston rod 12 in the cylinder 9 which operation of which projects beyond the casing of the valve and has formed thereon a crank 22 by means of which the valve is automatically operated in a manner hereinafter described.

When the device is swung to an operative position as shown in full lines in the various figures of the drawings, the same is locked in this position by a spring catch in the form of an arm 23 which is plvoted between its ends to a bracket 24 fastened to the adjacent side of the furnace, and the bracket carries a spring 23 which bears normally upward on the inner end of the arm 23 as shown. The'outer end of the catch arm 23 has formed thereon a hook or catch 25, the outer edge of which is beveled as at 26 whereby, when the frame 3 is swung inwardly to bring the cylinder 9 to an operative position and the clay supportingchamber 10 into engagement with the tap hole of the furnace, said catch 25 is engaged by thecatch lug 7 on the end of the frame 3. This'will lift said arm and permit the catch to spring over the lug 7 and thereby hold the frame or arm 3 and the parts carried thereby in operative position. When the hook or catch 25 on the end of the arm 23 springs into engagement with the lug 7 it operated to project the will also come into engagement with the crank 22 on the stem 21 of the valve 18 and will automaticall turn the valve into position for admitting air into the outer end of the cylinder 9 and exhausting the air from the inner end thereof, thus causing the air to project the piston in the cylinder 9 which operation will project the plunger 14 in the clay supporting chamber 10. The plunger 14 when thus projected will force the plug of clay contained in the outer end of the cylinder 10 into the tap hole of the furnace thus closing the latter and preventing further discharge of the molten metal therefrom.

By providing the catch arm 23 and constructing the same in the manner described, it will be seen that when the device is swung to an operativeposition the same will be positively and automatically locked in this position and when thus locked the'clay projecting mechanism will be automatically clay stopper into the tap hole of the furnace in the manner described. After the tap hole has been closed the catch may be disengaged from the lug of the cylinder supporting frame'and the latter swung outwardly to a position wherein a new plug of clay may be readily inserted inthe clay supporting chamber. When placing a newplug of clay in the chamber 10 the valve 18 will be manually turned to a position for releasing the air from the outer end of the cylinder and admitting air to the inner end thereof, thereby retracting the piston 11 in the cylinder 9' and the plunger 14 in the chamber 10 to permit the plug of clay to be readily inserted in the latter.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advan-- tages of the claimed invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An automatic tap hole stopping device comprising a hinged frame, a cylinder and a clay supporting chamber carried by said frame, a piston in the cylinder and a plunger in the chamber and having an operative connection with said piston, meansfor controlling the admission and discharge of compressed fluid to said cylinder, a catch to automatically engage said frame when the latter is swung to an operative position, and devices for actuating said controlling means when the frame is brought into this position.

2. An automatic tap hole stopping device comprising a hinged cylinder supporting frame, a compressed fluid cylinder carried by said frame, a clay supporting chamber connected with said cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the latter, a plunger slidably mounted in said clay supporting chamber and having an operative connection with said piston, whereby the plunger is projected and retracted in said clay chamber to force the plug of clay contained therein into the tap hole of a furnace, a valve to control the admission and discharge of the compressed fluid to said cylinder, a stem connected with said valve, a catch to automatically engage said cylinder supporting frame when the latter and the parts carried thereby are swung to an operative position thereby locking these parts in this position, and means to engage the stem of said valve, whereby the latter is automatically operated to admit compressed fluid to said cylinder thereby projecting the piston therein and the plunger in .said clay supporting chamber to force the clay from the latter into the tap hole of the furnace.

3. An automatic tap hole stopping device comprising a hinged frame, a compressed fluid cylinder carried by said frame, a clay supporting chamber connected with said cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the latter, a plunger slidably mounted in said clay supporting chamber and having an operative connectionf'with said piston, a valve to control the admission and discharge of the noeeeoe compressed fluid tosaid cylinder, a spring actuated arm having on its outer end a beveled catch, a lug on said frame adapted to be brought into engagement with the catch, and a crank on the stem of said valve adapted to be simultaneously turned by said catch, whereby the valve is actuated to admit fluid to the. cylinder for projectin the piston Itoherein and the plunger in sai clay chamer.

4. An automatic tap hole stopping device comprising a frame hinged 'at one end to a support, a clay-carrying chamber mounted in the other end of the frame, a plunger movable within said chamber, projecting mechanism for said plunger, and means for actuating said projecting mechanism, said means including a crank; combined with an arm so located as to be struck by said crank when the frame is swung to operative position, for the purpose set forth.

5. An automatic tap hole stopping device comprising a frame hinged at one end to a support, a clay-carrying chamber mounted in the other end of the frame, a plunger movable within said chamber, projecting mechanism for said plunger, and means for actuating said PI'O18C-i3ll'lg mechanism, said means including a crank; combined with a fixed bracket, an arm pivoted therein, a catch at its outer end, a spring throwing said catch normally downward to a point where itwill be struck by said crank when the frame is swung to operative position, and a lug on this end of the frame adapted to be engaged by said catch,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses,

I ERNEST- s. BOUDREAU;

Witnesses 2 F. A. LATCHAM, THETUs MCMASTERS. 

